The Worst Habits for Preventing Plaque Build-Up

If you paid attention when last visiting the dentist or listened when you mother warned you about the dangers of eating too much sugar, you’ll know that the number one threat to the health of your teeth and gums is plaque. Fortunately, removing plaque deposits from your mouth is fairly simple, requiring only a serious commitment to practicing quality oral hygiene.

However, despite the easy in which people can remove plaque from their teeth and gums, many people still find themselves engaging in bad habits that allow plaque to build up. To help you maintain and improve your oral health, here are a few plaque building habits you should avoid.

Not Brushing Daily

Preventing the onset of tooth decay and gum disease caused by plaque buildup all begins with performing daily maintenance in the form of brushing. Even if no one else will notice whether you’ve brushed your teeth today, plaque seizes the opportunities between the last time you’ve brushed to build up in deposits that release harmful substances that slowly destroy tooth enamel each time you consume simple or complex sugars.

By brushing at least twice daily, for two minutes at a time, you can remove plaque deposits from your teeth before the bacteria has an opportunity to cause any permanent damage to the health of your teeth and gums.

Not Flossing Daily

For many dentists, flossing actually ranks as being more important to protecting the health of your teeth and gums than brushing. Their reasoning is simple. Flossing helps to remove plaque that builds up between teeth, areas of the mouth your toothbrush cannot reach. Failing to floss allows plaque to damage the enamel between your teeth, which explains why the most frequent place dentists find cavities in the mouth is between patients’ teeth.

While you should ideally floss for between three and five minutes a day to prevent the onset of tooth decay, spending as little as 30 seconds a day flossing can still have an enormous impact on your oral health. Talk with your dentist to learn the best flossing techniques.

Not Using Mouthwash

Your mouth contains a variety of small nooks, crannies, and crevices that are hard to reach with a toothbrush. Using an antibacterial mouthwash as the last step in your nightly oral hygiene routine can help to remove plaque deposits from those hard to reach areas of your mouth, while also helping to freshen your breath.

Not Visiting the Dentist

Ask people to list their least favorite activities, and odds are you’ll see visiting the dentist as one of the most common answers. Even if spending an hour at the dentist’s office ranks up there with weekends at the in-laws and afternoons at the DMV, you need to grin and bear it to enjoy the very best oral health.

Scheduling regular trips to see Sonora CA Dentists Dr. Berger provides him with the opportunity to examine your teeth for early signs of tooth decay and gum disease. When caught at an early stage, Dr. Berger can easily treat these conditions and reverse any damage done. However, when you neglect undergoing routine cleanings and checkups, you allow plaque to run rampant and cause potentially serious long-term damage to your oral health.